Facts about hate crimes that everyone should know

It doesn’t matter your race, religion, sex or creed. Anyone can become the victim of hate crimes. However, just because you were victimized by a hate crime does not mean that you will automatically receive justice for the harm that was done for you. In fact, the vast majority of hate crimes go completely unnoticed and they’re never reported. Here are a few sobering statistics about hate crimes that everyone should know:

Approximately half, or 48 percent, of hate crime victims suffered from racially motivated crimes. These crimes might be as simple as a child being bullied at school and having his or her lunch money stolen because of the color of his or her skin. It could also be a man walking down the street who gets attacked for no other reason than being Asian, or a family’s home getting set on fire because they’re the only black family in an all-white neighborhood.

Approximately 35 percent of hate crime victims suspected that they were attacked for their ethnicity and 30 percent suspected it was because of their genders. Women are frequently the victims of hate crimes and so are individuals from other nations who come to the United States to live.

Approximately 23 percent of hate crimes victims suspected that their attackers were the result of groups they belonged to or people they associated with. Approximately 22 percent suspected that they were hurt because they were gay.

If you were attacked or victimized in a hate crime. Learn more about how New York and federal laws apply to your case and situation. You might have a viable cause of action to pursue a claim for financial justice and restitution in court.